title: [Investigation of operative process in treating lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion in aged patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the operative management and surgical techniques for lumber disc herniation (LDH) in aged patients (>or=65 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2005 to 2010,the data of 43 patients with LDH underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. There were 25 males and 18 females,aged from 65 to 70 years old with an average of 67.6 years. The course of disease was from 6 weeks to 7 years with an average of 10.2 years. Fenestratiodn discectomy or extended fenestration discectomy and unilateral or bilateral fenestration were used according to the conditions of location,type of herniated macleos polposus and nerve root compression. Among the patients,the nerve root canal was enlarged,hyperplastic osteophyma and soft tissue were removed, bilateral articular process was reserved in order to maintain the stability of the lumbar segment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients were followed up from 1.2 to 5.2 years. According to the criteria of HU you-gu, 25 cases got excellent results, 15 good, 2 fair and 1 poor. No infection or nerve injury was found. Nerve function of patients had a normal or near normal recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the treatment of LDH in aged patents,it is key that reasonably choose the operative method, completely remove the hyperplasy of diseased region and enlarge the nerve root canal, thoroughly loose the nerve root.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shangyu City, Shangyu 321300, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Long-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jian-Liang
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ying-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies